DIMENSIONS OF
CULTURE
• One does not need to think twice about saying that culture
influences the organization or that the success or failure of an
organization is influenced to a larger degree by the cultural
variations of the workforce and the customers/consumers with
whom they work. Various anthropologists, sociologists, and
management professionals have presented their perspectives on
culture in the form of the models mentioned below:
Edward Hall and Mildred Hall Model
. Florence Kluckhohn and Fred Strodtbeck Model
. Geert Hofstede Model
Fons Trompenaars Model
• . GLOBE (Global Leader and Organizational Behavior
Effectiveness) Project
• 1. Edward Hall and Mildred Hall Model
Based on their business experience and numerous qualitative
research, anthropologists Edward Hall and his wife Mildred Hall have
defined the six aspects of culture as follows:
• A. Time Language
- It is further divided into two parts: monochronic culture or M-
time and polychronic culture or P-time. M-time culture believes that
time is as valuable as money and should not be squandered. As a result,
time is given more importance than individuals. People from M-time
cultures are very timely, whether it’s a meeting, an appointment, or a
social event. Polychronic societies, on the other hand, place a higher
value on people or human connections than on time.
B. Space Language
- It is also known as proxemics. In most cases, the most important
individual occupies the largest office. At the same time, the way people
utilize their personal space varies among cultures.
C. Language of Objects
- This component of culture emphasizes the ownership of tangible
things by a culture’s people.
• D. Language of Friendship
• - This dimension explains how individuals approach establishing friends.
That is, whether individuals in a society readily establish friends and if they
maintain their friendships for a long time or whether they are easily and often
broken. Normally, no culture believes in reacting to friendships and
relationships with the same level of emotional intensity. At times, the
individual’s privacy and self-interest take precedence over others.
E. Agreement Language
- People in some countries or cultures like to have everything in black and
white, especially agreements. Some civilizations, on the other hand, take the
exact opposite approach.
• F. Cultures of High and Low Context
- In high context cultures, communication is implicit, and,
therefore, greater emphasis is placed on the interpretation of the
context rather than on the words. The majority of things are left
unsaid so that the recipient may interpret the words based on the
context. On the other hand, in low-context cultures, communication
is clear, and, therefore the primary emphasis is given to the words,
and the recipient is expected to comprehend the message via the
words used in the message without regard for the context.
• 2. Florence Kluckhohn and Fred Strodtbeck Model
- Kluckhohn and Strodbeck put forward six dimensions of culture
based on problems that all societies face.
A. What does a person think about the basic nature and beliefs about
the other person?
B. What does a person think about his rights and responsibilities
towards nature?
C. What is the duty of a person towards others?
D. What is the key form of activity in a society?
E. How is space considered in a business
organization?
• F. What is considered more important by the
people-past, present or future?
• 3. Geert Hofstede Model
• - It was the first major study in the field of cross-
cultural comparative research. The six well-known
dimensions that Hofstede examined are:
A. Power Distance Index (PDI)
- This dimension assesses the extent to which the organization’s less
powerful personnel perceives an uneven allocation of power. The main issue here
is how society deals with inequalities between individuals.
B. Individualism vs. Collectivism (IDV)
- Individualism refers to a loosely connected social network in which
individuals prioritize themselves and their closest family members. Collectivism,
on the other hand, indicates a closely knit social framework in which individuals
believe in looking after each other in the group in return for loyalty.
• C. Masculinity vs Femininity (MAS)
- In the case of masculinity, the values examined include accomplishment,
heroism, assertiveness, and financial reward for success. Whereas the feminine
side of this dimension includes values such as collaboration, humility, concern for
the vulnerable, and so on.
D. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)
- A low score or value on the uncertainty avoidance index indicates that the
organization’s managers and employees feel at ease in uncertain situations and are
thus more entrepreneurial, willing to take risks, and less reliant on formal rules,
whereas a high score on the uncertainty avoidance index indicates the opposite.
• E. Long-term Normative Orientation (LTO) vs. Short- term Normative
Orientation (STO)
• - People with short-term orientation are normative thinkers who appreciate
conventional values. They believe on achieving outcomes quickly. People with a
long-term perspective, on the other hand, think that truth is highly dependent on
circumstance, context, and time. They are adamant about getting things done.
F. Indulgence vs Restraint (IND)
- An indulgent society allows relatively unfettered fulfillment of fundamental
and inherent human impulses linked to enjoying life and having pleasure.
On the contrary, constraint denotes a society that suppresses satisfaction of wants
and regulates it via the implementation of stringent social norms or standards.
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